know tonight there will be thousands of questionable votes here in california. this has nothing to do with politics. instead, life and death literally. the ballots for dead people are still being cast. the investigative unit has uncovered the story. stephen stock joins us with the details. >> raj, we found more than 25,000 questionable voters throughout california. why and how is that possible? the names on the voter rolls share the exact same name, date of birth, and zip code as someone who is dead. it is fraud? human error? a problem with california's election system? we discovered it appears the answer in this case is all of the above. every trip to the mailbox during election season brings anxiety for bill morrison. >> this stuff should not be coming. >> as each election day approaches, he continues to get mail for his late wife carol, the love of his life for 33

years. >> it angers me and it hurts because she is dead. >> dead for almost a decade. she passed away on may 18th, 2004 after a four-year battle with cancer. >> she was really a good person. >> reporter: that's why it puzzles and hurts bill the all the more to find out someone has been voting in carol's name during the last two presidential elections. >> i don't know why when somebody dies it doesn't go to the elections and they just cross the name off the list. >> reporter: even more troubling, he continues to get absentee ballots in the mail with carol's name on them, even though he sent past ballots back over the years indicating she died. >> it doesn't surprise me. i mean, you hear all of the stories that go on. >> reporter: stories like sara shiftman. she has been here at home of eternity in piedmont since 2007. but according to state and

county records she voted a year later in 2008. and frank canela tapia who records show voted eight times since 2005. the problem is he died in 2001. so how do we know this? we compared the state's voter registration rolls to the master death index. we found thousands of questionable matches. in the bay area, we found 365 matches in san francisco. 51 in napa county. 119 in contra costa. county election officials are responsible for removing a person's name from the voter rolls after they have passed away. >> this is embarrassing. >> steve weir is the contra costa clerk and recorder. >> this is something we should have caught. >> reporter: we sent him a sample of the questionable names we found. he confirms they shouldn't be there. so why are they there? weir says there could be several reasons. someone voted by mistake. a misplaced signature, or his

office simply did not check the rolls. >> we went in and looked and we have the death record. so that person shouldn't be on the role. this shouldn't be the only case that have people on the roles that shouldn't be. >> reporter: and in at least one other case we discovered weir suspects something else. that's why he sent to it the district attorney as a potential fraud investigation. >> if there is fraud taking place, it is anecdotal and family-oriented. >> it's important we keep a clean and accurate database. >> reporter: barry serves as registrar of voters in santa clara county where we found 83 matches. so are some of these names a coincidence? possibly. but only if people share the exact same name and birthday. and keep in mind the 25,000 that we found only make up less than 2/10 of 1% of the state's electorate. but that's too many for garner. >> if we can find one that is one too many because too many people sacrifice and die so we

have the opportunity to vote in this country. >> reporter: it's not just a problem here. this study by a pugh center on the states found nearly two million people on the roles nationwide. >> it's hard to imagine this not occurring given the fractured data that we have throughout this country. >> reporter: david becker supervises analysis and reform efforts at the pew center. >> this isn't a democratic problem. this isn't a republican problem. this is a problem for our system. it affects everyone. and we need to make sure the information is accurate. >> all the bay area election officials we spoke with confirm finding names on their roles, which should have been removed before we contacted them. >> we're going to do something that we did in the 1990s. we're going to take ten years of the state death rolls and run them against our files after the election. >> every name you give we'll investigate and give you a report of what we have. >> reporter: bill morrison just wants carol's name taken off the voter roles now. he is tired being reminded of his wife's death every election

season. >> you know, if i died somebody could vote for me the way it's going. >> reporter: several election supervisors here in the bay area said they will use our data and research to clean their roles after tomorrow's election. and they say they'll be watching the names we sent them to make sure that the dead people don't vote in their county this year. they also stress that they count on the public to keep their voter roles up to date. and they ask anyone who knows of someone who died to notify them so that name can be taken off the roles. we'll be watching too. raj, jessica? >> our entire investigative unit is monitoring vote nears the bay area. if you have a problem tomorrow, tell us about it. you can call our investigative tip line at 888-996-tips, or send us an e-mail directly to the unit at nbcbayarea.com. we'll be investigati all reports of voter irregularity and polling problems. well, here in california, the polls open a little more in seven hours.

but millions of americans took advantage of early voting all across the country. and one tiny village already opened and closed its polls tonight. dixville notch, new hampshire, voted about two hours ago. ten people handed in their ballots. and president obama and mitt romney split the votes. the first ever tie in dixville notch. many more ballots will be cast tomorrow. nbc's steve handelsman is live in cincinnati, ohio, to show us the last day of the presidential campaigns. and they were doozies. >> reporter: jessica, thanks. dixville notch in a battleground state in a tie. that tells you a lot about the 2012 election. good evening from cincinnati. this state, ohio, could be the state that decides the ection tomorrow or whenever it's decided. and that means today the voters of ohio got the most attention. mitt romney's final ohio rally

filled a hangar in columbus with 10,000 screaming supporters. >> now let's make sure that everyone we know gets out to vote on tuesday. >> reporter: earlier, introduced by bruce springsteen and jay-z. >> hello, ohio! are you fired up? >> reporter: president obama held his final ohio event in columbus. an estimated 15,000 supporters and a pitch aimed at ohio. >> i'm proud we saved the auto industry. but i'm even prouder that we're making better cars now. >> the president visited volunteers and called in ohio voter. >> this is barack obama. and i hope that we bring it home tomorrow. >> reporter: for days republican volunteers like jeremy bosco have worked the cincinnati/hamilton county, ohio suburbs to be sure romney backers vote. >> we'll be there tuesday morning. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: jeremy knows ohio

must win for romney. do you ever figure jeez, if i do a great job now, in this county, i could get my guy to the white house, you? >> in a small way, yes. >> reporter: ohio's early voting has been busy, but republican poll watchers could challenge the balance of thousands of these and tomorrow's voters. >> if you have a very tight race in the state of ohio, you could very well have a decision that we won't know the results of for two weeks. >> reporter: would no time to worry about that, president obama went to ohio. mitt romney campaigning into the night. in a surprise, the romney campaign announced that he will be back in ohio tomorrow in cleveland and also go to pennsylvania, a final push on election day. live from cincinnati, i'm steve handelsman, nbc bay area news. >> okay, thank you very much, steve. now proposition 30 could be the biggest issue for california voters tomorrow. coming up in five minutes, what

you haven't heard in ads about that proposition, and what will happen if prop 30 passes. and of course we invite you to stay with nbc bay area news for complete election coverage. we will have live coverage all day beginning tomorrow morning at 4:30 today on the bay. and of course, you can always go to nbcbayarea.com for the latest election results and updates. it was a highly anticipated verdict in the south bay, a verdict that one attorney says makes children safer from molestation. today a jury found a principal guilty of failing to report accusations that an 8-year-old girl had been sexual abused by a teacher. lyn vijayendran, who used to work at o.b. whaley elementary in san jose wiped away tears as the judge announced the verdict. the accused teacher, craig chandler is currently awaiting trial for molesting five children. >> when you have the responsibility of hundreds of children in your care, you can't afford to drop the ball at an important moment like that. >> the 36-year-old vijayendran

was sentenced to two years' probation and 100 hours of community service. the judge told her she would like to see her use her experience by training other educators to comply with the state's mandated reporter law. the man accused of vandalizing a muni bus plead not guilty, but apologized at the same time. 22-year-old gregory granes plead not guilty to felony vandalism charges today. police arrested him after this photograph was posted on facebook, prompting plenty of tips to police. he may have to pay part of the $700,000 it will cost to replace the bus. as of now, he is one of 12 people facing charges following the violence the night the giants won the world series. and a marin county teen accused of stealing celebrity chef gfieri has a trial. he'll have one trial for the charge against him. he is also accused of trying to kill a teenaged couple.

the hearing for december 5th. wade remains in custody in lieu of a $2 million bail. a mystery in the desert solved in the bay area. >> actually, i worked today, the mojave cross was found. >> a cross at the center of a battle between church and state vanishes, only to resurface just as mysteriously right here in town. who is who in california politics turns out tonight for one last push. >> i would only say please, california. this is really important. >> supporters say it is about education. tonight we look into what is not being talked about. and more trouble for the east coast just as another storm bears down on the same area ravaged by the superstorm sandy. and good evening. i'm jeff ranieri in the nbc bay area weather center. we have some historic scores today in the 80s. on election day, voting problems aren't a matter of if, but when. that's why nbc bay area's investigative unit will be out making sure your vote counts.

if you see problems, call our tip line, or e-mail the unit at nbcbayarea.com. this is hayden. that's elizabeth. and that's skyler... and his mom, nancy. they're just a few of the californians who took it on themselves to send you a message about what they need to restore years of cuts to their schools. prop thirty-eight. thirty-eight raises billions in new revenue - bypasses sacramento and sends every k through 12 dollar straight to our local schools... every school. for them. for all of us. vote yes on thirty-eight.

a major push is under way tonight to move prop 30 over the finish line. prop 30 is the governor's tax initiative. and there are big-name politicians behind it. it is also one of the most contentious taxes on the ballot. prop 30 is build as a vote for schools, but a yes on 30 has more riding on it than just classroom cuts. a closer look at 30. cheryl? >> reporter: well, jessica, you really have to take a closer look at proposition 30 when it comes to following the money. now the governor wants voters to focus on education when it comes to 30. but prop 30 we found out means a whole lot more. >> yes on 30, yes on 30! >> reporter: the push for yes on 30 is in its final hours.

>> the people of california care about their kids. they care about schools. they care about the future. keep the california dream alive. yes on 30. thanks! >> reporter: if you listen to governor brown and others, you would think that a yes on 30 means all money would go to help public schools and college funding. >> our community college loses. our san francisco state loses. >> the university of california has increased tuition once, twice, three times. it can't do it anymore. >> reporter: and when you press the governor to talk about how the passage of 30 would affect something other than education -- >> governor, it's about much more than education, though. >> it's about california. it's about the california dream. >> reporter: governor brown is selling a dream. but the reality is prop 30 impacts more than education. it would impact public safety and health care. if it passes, proposition 30 would raise more than $6 billion annually in taxes for the next seven years. it would also amend the state

constitution to set aside funding for the governor's prison realignment program. and money would go toward medical care. so why focus the message on education? those who are against 30 feel the governor is doing education a disservice. david spady is the california state director for americans for prosperity. he says governor brown didn't have to tie proposition 30 to education. >> it's a false choice to say it is either education fund organize these cuts. it was tied to education because obviously that was the best way to convince voters to go along with this tax increase. >> former mayor and now columnist willie brown says the governor had no choice. >> you're trying to get people to vote. and you're trying to get them to vote for a specific reason. 2/3 you had to explain to them about the transition from state prison to local and how it's got to be subsidized and all that, that gets fuzzy. >> reporter: well, the yes on 30

folks don't want fuzzy. they want to be laser-sharp when it comes to education. the no on 30 people want people to look at the entire situation, the entire proposition. this race according to the polls is a tight one. reporting live in san francisco, i'm cheryl hurd, nbc bay area news. >> thank you. prop 30 is also up against proposition 38. it's another education-related tax, this one funded primarily by millionaire civil rights attorney miley munger. munger has spent more than $47 million of her own money to promote prop 38. it would increase income taxes on a sliding scale basis to most californians and would raise an estimated 10 billion a year for schools, and system of the money would eventually be used to pay down the state debt. if both 30 and 38 get enough votes to pass, the one with the most votes will prevail. an unusual discovery in san mateo county tonight. the controversial mojave cross

was part of a world war i memorial. it was the subject of a supreme court case. and it was also stolen two years ago. now it's in safe hands. nbc bay area's jean elle joins us in san francisco this evening with more on this discovery and its meaning. jean? >> reporter: many are grateful the mojave cross has been recovered. they say it is an important symbol, so important it's about to be replaced. >> i was upset, to say the least. actually, i thought what happened to the cross? why we can't find it. and then i found it it was stolen. >> reporter: vietnam veteran raymond wong remembers when someone stole the mojave cross in 2010. he was in california, looking for the storied symbol. >> this monument in honor of world war i veterans dedicated in the 1930s. >> reporter: the tribute stood on sunrise rock for decades. when the lands became the mojave national preserve, the aclu sued

the national park service, demanding the religious symbol be removed. the cross was covered while the case went all the way to the u.s. supreme court. eventually, the land was turned over to the veterans of foreign wars, and the memorial was allowed to stand. but the 7-foot cross was missing, until now. >> the giant note typed out to the effect of this is a stolen cross from the mojave desert. >> reporter: san diego sheriff's deputies recovered the cross this morning near skyline boulevard and highway 92, wrapped in paper, zip tied to a fence with a detailed note about returning it to the mojave. >> but they contacted the park service, and they verified with them based on the detail on the cross. >> reporter: the vfw is dedicating a new cross on sunrise rock this weekend in honor of veterans day. but the discovery of the original means a lot to veterans like wong. he plans to visit the memorial, and this time the cross will be standing. >> at a future date and in

southern california, we like to go down there and look at the new cross. >> reporter: the san mateo county sheriff's department is holding the mojave cross until the vfw can arrange to take it back down to southern california. deputies are also taking a close look at that cross to see if there are any clues about who may have been holding it for the past two years. reporting live in san francisco, jean elle, nbc bay area news. >> thank you, jean. now the timing couldn't be worse. a nor'easter is due to hit new york, and much of the east coast wednesday afternoon. and that's expected to bring high winds, heavy rain, even snow. disheartening news for residents still reeling from the aftermath of superstorm sandy. so many people still in the midst of trying to clean up, homeless, it's just a bad situation made worse now. >> even going into election day tomorrow on the east coast. let's bring in our chief meteorologist here. we see red numbers here in the bay area behind you. >> it really is about two different extremes, a cold and wet storm system, we're dealing with hot weather.

we didn't even have temperature likes this for some cities in the summer. 94 degrees in gilroy. that was our hottest today. the average temperature in the low 70s. we had at least ten records set across the bay area. it was historic on so many fronts. when you think about november, 84 in oakland. a new record in san jose with 83 in san francisco, even at 78. but here is the thing. look at this in santa cruz. that 88 today is going to plummet to 59 as we head throughout thursday. not only cold there as we head throughout our late week forecast, but also up across the sierra. in advance of our next weather-maker we're tracking, we do have a winter weather advisory that has been posted 4 to 10 inches possible with the next round. wind 40 to 60 miles per hour. we may even see blizzard conditions at a time with the next storm system that is going to be coming our way. pretty decent size here. plenty of mid-50s. up into the north bay and also for the east bay. let's take you outside right now to our crew. this is a show of hurd's crew bringing us back this picture

from the bay bridge. and the moon continuing to rise tonight. looking spectacular. okay. thank you so much, cheryl hurd and crew. the next 48, we do have the storm track right now, at least in the interim, ridging off to the north. this is getting held off, at least by this record-setting heat. we have at least one more day of some hot weather coming our way before this next storm system. it's going to be so cold back behind this storm system, temperatures by thursday, friday and saturday look to drop an estimated 20 to 30 degrees in that forecast. not only that, but of course that rainfall that we've been tracking and also that sierra snow that will be coming back. so for tomorrow, it's going to be sunny. it will be warm. it will be above average. it's going to be awesome out here for election day. but then as we head throughout wednesday, we'll get 10 to 15 degrees of cooling that will be the transitional day. and then by thursday, get ready. this is when the major changes will be coming. we'll start to look at the first showers at 10:00 a.m. on thursday.

and then the afternoon hours on thursday, everyone expected to get wet with the next storm system on the weather boards. as far as the temperatures go for the morning hours, we'll go with upper 40s and low 50s. you'll need a jacket if you're headed out to the polls early. and as for the daytime highs on tuesday, we'll go with low to mid 80s in the south bay. for the east bay, we'll also go with 83 in danville. 78 in the castro valley. and 83 in walnut creek. and for san francisco, looks like we'll do it again with record-setting heat and 80. 86 in santa rosa. so break it down for you one more time just in case you're tuning in right now. sheer that election day forecast. at the coast, 70s. by the bay, 80s. and inland, mid- to upper 80s. on your three-day forecast, hold on. strap on that seat belt. i know you probably don't have them at home at your couch. but hold on to something here. >> some people might. >> 60s by saturday and also on sunday. ooh, we like this in the weather department. but i know a lot of you back home are going really? >> we'll be right back.

okay. it's a hard hat zone, and it's coming together quickly. in fact, the 49ers are ahead of schedule. >> yes. today marked a major milestone in the construction project. crews hoisted the bleachers into place at the new santa clara stadium. now the front office says the rest of the project is also moving ahead as scheduled. about 80% of the work is complete. and that means the stadium is scheduled to open for the 2014 football season. scott has one question. if he and his seat in the press box is going to be ready, if it was hoisted into place today. >> yeah, i don't think they have the diamonds sewn in yet for my particular chair. they've got two years. that's the good news. hey, guys, talking football ahead. and also a lot of hoops. the warriors have been impressive earlier in this nba season. the kings not so much. so we throw the track records out the window as these two nor cal rivals get together. we have hoop highlights on the way in sports.

hi, everybody. scott reiss back. the last time the warriors started 3-0 on the road, 1994. a repeat of that hot start was well within reach tonight. all they had to do was beat the winless sacramento kings. yeah, all they had to do. turned out not to be quite so easy. this one right down to the wire, the king's home opener. third quarter, demarcus cousins going to work. and boy did he do some work. 23 points, 15 rebounds. that caps a 16-0 kings run. a one-point game, klay thompson for the lead. the warriors get the ball back with just over a second to go. down by two. last chance for stephen curry. he had a good look, if you can consider a 30-footer a good look. didn't go. 94-92. >> i told my guys, you don't win or lose the game on the last

shot attempts, you know. one defensive rebound, one less turnover, one executed trip. one play where they don't get a wide open layup in transition. you know, that's the difference between winning and losing the ball game, not the last play. monday night football. eagles and saints. second quarter. drew brees connecting with marcus colston. 51st consecutive game with a td toss for brees. that's a six-yard catch and carry. the saints go on to win, 28-13. and stop me if you have heard this before. darren mcfadden injured. the raider running back suffered a high ankle strain. hadn't been ruled out, but it's a high ankle strain. to make matters worse, mike goodson suffered his own high ankle. sprain. and one more note, the nhl and the players union set to

resume talks on tuesday. so maybe, just maybe they will save the season still to come. more news next.

okay. before we go, we want to give you another reminder. the polls open in less than eight hours. but our election coverage begins in just a little bit. we're going to have live reports beginning at 4:30 in the morning on "today in the bay." and of course we'll have them continuously throughout the bay. as always, you can always check out nbcbayarea.com. we will have a special newscast tomorrow at 3:00 in the afternoon. and then we will have, of course, continuous coverage throughout the day. >> we encourage you to get out and vote. no excuses based on the weather. >> exactly. let's take a look at the forecast. we're going to look great at the coast, bay and inland. low and mid-80s. we're going to see more records, but not expecting any kind of weather that would keep you from heading out on the polls. we are going to get rain back by

thursday and also friday as temperatures drop down into the 60s. so big-time changes coming our way this week. >> okay, jeff. thank you. look forward to seeing you back here tomorrow. >> bye-bye.

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